Successful rock guitarist Delaney Bramlett passed away this weekend in a Los Angeles hospital, at the age of 69, after a long time of struggle with his bad health. He recently underwent gall bladder surgery and the complications from the procedure were fatal.

"I held him and he held on up until the last breath with which he went in peace to the light and on into eternity," said his wife, Susan Lanier-Bramlett, in a statement, adding that he had been struggling for seven hard months.

He first made a name for himself back in the late 1960s, as part of the combo Delaney & Bonnie, playing alongside his first wife Bonnie Lynn. They divorced in the early 1970s and each one continued their careers separately.

He was also responsable for producing Eric Clapton’s debut solo album in 1970, for which he also co-wrote most of the songs. Throughout his long career, Bramlett collaborated with artists such as Billy Preston, Mac Davis, The Everly Brothers, Janis Joplin, JJ Cale, Dave Mason, Harrison, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix. He also produced artists such as Elvin Bishop and Etta James.

He co-wrote songs such as Superstar, Clapton’s Let It Rain and the extremely popular Never Ending Song Of Love, recorded so far by more than 100 artists.

His latest project was released this year by the independent label Magnolia Gold Records under the name of A New King of Blues.